Simply from the title on the top of the thread I wanted to weigh in:
I dislocated my knee two summers ago off a kicker doing an OHH - after getting healed up, strengthening, I knew I was going to need a brace to get back on the water and slopes.
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Morgan-
Both boards are GREAT to get the ball rolling with. At 185, it's a crap shoot between the 142 Trip, 144 Vault. At 2 centimeters, that's less than a half inch on each end of the board, so for all practical purposes, that's nearly identical...

I would have to agree with an amalgam of the posts above…
I think the evolution of Wakeboarding, whether it's boat or cable, is to continue with those "finer" details that truly separate it from other sports out there and add that extra lev...

I do enjoy a little surfing when the water gets a little blown out or after a long day of boarding… however…
There's no way I'm going to pay to watch somebody sit behind a boat and drink a beer that didn't come from my own cooler. Wai...

Regan-
First, I saw the comment on the helmet… big fan of the helmet and a step further, a mouthguard. Just a big fan.
Second, I'd take a shorter rope, slower speed, and slowly take more and more aggressive cuts in at the wake to get comfo...